History
The portion of US 44 between Poughkeepsie and Amenia was the main line of an early toll road known as the Dutchess Turnpike. The turnpike continued past Amenia into the Connecticut town of Sharon along modern NY 343. Between the Wallkill River near the hamlet of Gardiner and the hamlet of Ardonia, modern US 44 was also roughly located along another early toll road known as the Farmer's Turnpike. The Farmer's Turnpike continued east past Ardonia to the village of Milton where a ferry across the Hudson River once existed.
In 1924, when state highways were first marked by route numbers in New York, the main line of the Dutchess Turnpike was designated as NY 21. Other portions of modern US 44, aside from the overlap with NY 22, were unnumbered in the 1920s. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, the old NY 21 was partitioned into three numbered routes. Between Poughkeepsie and South Millbrook, old NY 21 became the western half of NY 200, which continued east to Dover Plains using the Dover branch route of the Dutchess Turnpike (modern NY 343). The section from South Millbrook to Amenia became part of NY 82A, which continued past Amenia to Pine Plains. The easternmost section from Amenia to the Connecticut line was designated as NY 343. West of the Hudson River, NY 55 was also designated in 1930 between Barryville and Pawling, running along the portion of modern US 44 between Kerhonkson and Poughkeepsie.
US 44 was assigned c. 1935. West of the Hudson River, it was overlaid on the pre-existing NY 55, with US 44 officially beginning at US 209, which was also extended into New York c. 1935. East of the river, US 44 was routed on the original Dutchess Turnpike main line from Poughkeepsie to Amenia, supplanting NY 200 west of South Millbrook, NY 82A west of Amenia, and a short portion of NY 343 between NY 82A and the hamlet of Amenia. US 44 left the turnpike at Amenia and followed NY 22 north to Millerton, where it continued east on a short piece of former NY 199 into Connecticut. The alignments of NY 200 and NY 343 were flipped as part of US 44's assignment.
US 44 originally entered the village of Millbrook via NY 82, North Avenue, and Franklin Avenue. On April 1, 1980, the state of New York assumed ownership of a highway bypassing Millbrook to the west and north as part of a highway maintenance swap between the state and Dutchess County. The newly-acquired roadway was designated as NY 44A. On June 5, 2007, NYSDOT announced that US 44 would be permanently realigned onto NY 44A. All shields along NY 44A were replaced with US 44 signage, and the NY 44A designation ceased to exist. NYSDOT will continue to perform maintenance on US 44's former routing through Millbrook. The portion of the routing that did not overlap NY 82 is now NY 984P, an unsigned reference route.
Read more about this topic: U.S. Route 44 In New York
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